The district is located in a middle to upper-middle class suburb approximately eight miles east of Cleveland, Ohio. The district is comprised of one high school, one middle school, four elementary schools, a main administrative building and a multi-district career technical school which is located within the high school building. District enrollment is approximately 4,000 students. The high school, which encompasses grades 8 through 12 has an approximate enrollment of 1,700 students. High school staff consists of 175 classroom teachers, 8 librarians and library assistants, one building principal, and three assistant principals.
Current State of School Libraries:
The high school building has three libraries. Each library contains print materials that belong to a specific category of information. The categorization of the libraries is as follows:
The Humanities Library: Contains books and periodicals related to the content areas of Social Studies, History, and the Arts. Also there is an adjacent computer lab.
The Technology (Tech) Library: Contains books and periodicals related to computer and information technology, industrial technology, and the hard sciences. There is one laptop computer cart with wireless internet access available in the Tech Library.
The IMC Library: The largest of the three libraries with respect to total square footage. This area contains reference materials such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, almanacs, etc.
The three libraries are physically located in different areas of the high school building. The Humanities and Technology libraries are located on what is known as the "8 - 9 side" and the IMC library is located on the "10 - 12 side." The floor plan below depicts the general layout of the portion of the high school in which the three libraries are located. Drawing is not to scale and does not contain all classrooms but is intended to provide a general overview of the high school layout.
All three high school libraries are original to the building, which was constructed in the early 1970s. At that time, the primary focus of a school library was print material such as books and periodicals. As a distribution facility of these forms of media, the libraries function sufficiently. However, the landscape of traditional school libraries has changed to include not only the storage and distribution of print materials but also the access to multiple forms of media. Students today require and demand access to not only print materials but also digital media. Furthermore students require resources and technology to not only retrieve information but also support the creation of their own works in the form of digital presentations, video production, podcasts, etc. Teachers also require access to space that has true ubiquitous access to technology. Currently, only select classrooms have access to instructional technology such as SmartBoards, scanners or projectors. Because this equipment is isolated to a few classrooms, unequal access is provided to staff and students. By converting the IMC Library into a 21st century media center students, staff and community members will have access to the tools necessary in the 21st century. In the end, the currently stuffy and outdated aura of the IMC library will be more attractive and inviting to students and staff which, in turn, will result in higher utilization of current library resources. Also, students and staff will have a dedicated media-rich area to assist in creating and participate in engaging learning experiences.
Results:
The anticipated results of converting the IMC Library into a 21st century media center are as follows:
The complete renovation of the IMC Library including furniture, floor coverings, wiring, computer equipment, etc. to create equitable access and a collaborative learning environment at the high school.
Empower students and staff with the tools necessary to express their ideas and create their own unique message using a variety of digital tools.
Increased enthusiasm and excitement by teachers and students regarding the use of the school library and media resources.
The remainder of this strategic plan will provide details regarding this conversion.
Executive Summary
District Background:
The district is located in a middle to upper-middle class suburb approximately eight miles east of Cleveland, Ohio. The district is comprised of one high school, one middle school, four elementary schools, a main administrative building and a multi-district career technical school which is located within the high school building. District enrollment is approximately 4,000 students. The high school, which encompasses grades 8 through 12 has an approximate enrollment of 1,700 students. High school staff consists of 175 classroom teachers, 8 librarians and library assistants, one building principal, and three assistant principals.Current State of School Libraries:
The high school building has three libraries. Each library contains print materials that belong to a specific category of information. The categorization of the libraries is as follows:- The Humanities Library: Contains books and periodicals related to the content areas of Social Studies, History, and the Arts. Also there is an adjacent computer lab.
- The Technology (Tech) Library: Contains books and periodicals related to computer and information technology, industrial technology, and the hard sciences. There is one laptop computer cart with wireless internet access available in the Tech Library.
- The IMC Library: The largest of the three libraries with respect to total square footage. This area contains reference materials such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, almanacs, etc.
The three libraries are physically located in different areas of the high school building. The Humanities and Technology libraries are located on what is known as the "8 - 9 side" and the IMC library is located on the "10 - 12 side." The floor plan below depicts the general layout of the portion of the high school in which the three libraries are located. Drawing is not to scale and does not contain all classrooms but is intended to provide a general overview of the high school layout.The Need for Change:
All three high school libraries are original to the building, which was constructed in the early 1970s. At that time, the primary focus of a school library was print material such as books and periodicals. As a distribution facility of these forms of media, the libraries function sufficiently. However, the landscape of traditional school libraries has changed to include not only the storage and distribution of print materials but also the access to multiple forms of media. Students today require and demand access to not only print materials but also digital media. Furthermore students require resources and technology to not only retrieve information but also support the creation of their own works in the form of digital presentations, video production, podcasts, etc. Teachers also require access to space that has true ubiquitous access to technology. Currently, only select classrooms have access to instructional technology such as SmartBoards, scanners or projectors. Because this equipment is isolated to a few classrooms, unequal access is provided to staff and students. By converting the IMC Library into a 21st century media center students, staff and community members will have access to the tools necessary in the 21st century. In the end, the currently stuffy and outdated aura of the IMC library will be more attractive and inviting to students and staff which, in turn, will result in higher utilization of current library resources. Also, students and staff will have a dedicated media-rich area to assist in creating and participate in engaging learning experiences.Results:
The anticipated results of converting the IMC Library into a 21st century media center are as follows:- The complete renovation of the IMC Library including furniture, floor coverings, wiring, computer equipment, etc. to create equitable access and a collaborative learning environment at the high school.
- Empower students and staff with the tools necessary to express their ideas and create their own unique message using a variety of digital tools.
- Increased enthusiasm and excitement by teachers and students regarding the use of the school library and media resources.
The remainder of this strategic plan will provide details regarding this conversion.